Down a Long, Dark Path
by CriminalOutsider'sGirl14
Summary: After a severe concussion, Reid struggles to put the pieces of his life back together after being comatose. Will he ever be the same again? Can he return to the life he once lived?
1. Chapter 1

**Down A Long, Dark Path**

 **Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Criminal Minds. (I wish I owned Reid.)**

 **Summary : **_After a severe concussion, Reid struggles to put the pieces of his life back together after being comatose. Will he ever be the same again? (Possible JJ/Reid)_

 **Third Person**

 _"Clear!" Reid called in a loud voice. He kept cautiously making his way down the hallway, his gun pointed forward in his right hand and his flashlight held tight in his left hand. He could smell the sickening smell of rotting blood through the cigarette smoke that clouded the air._

 _Out of nowhere a blinding pain smacked him in the side of his head, sending his gun and flashlight sailing out of hands. He caught the silhouette of a man in front of him blearily._ _He found himself staring down the barrel of .22 revolver. Still seeing stars, Spencer brought his knee up blindingly and smacked his hands in front of his face, luckily nailing the gun out of the UnSub's hands. It flew across the room and landed with a crash._

"Dr. Spencer Reid is comatose. There's a chance that there may be brain damage if he wakes up."

"If?"

"I'm so sorry, Agent. _If_ Dr. Reid wakes up, there's a possibility he might never be the same again."

 _Another blow to the head came Reid's way, but not as hard. He pulled himself up and tried to run towards his gun to fire, but the UnSub tackled him and they rolled into the wall. A box fell over and landed on Spencer's leg, causing him to cry out in pain._

"You gotta come back to us, Kid. We need you."

 _He heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Reid hoped it was his team. He wasn't sure how much longer he could fight off the suspect. Reid saw the UnSub grab his gun and Reid flew towards him and had him tackled in an instant. Out of the corner of his eye, Reid saw Hotch, Morgan, and JJ bursting through the door before everything turned black._

Beep... Beep... Beep...

"Spence?"

Beep... Beep...

 _The first thing Reid saw after he woke up was a blinding light. He had to squeeze his eyes shut as to not throw up or pass out from the blinding pain in his head. When what he assumed was an ambulance hit a bumpy pothole in the road, he weakly turned his head and vomited without ever opening his eyes. He tried to stay awake and listen to the voices talking to him, but the unforgiving and relentless darkness pulled him under._

"Reid, come back to us. Please."

 _Where am I?_ Spencer wondered.

"Hotch! I think he moved his finger. Call a nurse."

Blinking, Spencer cautiously cracked open one of his eyes. He moaned in pain. So. Bright.

"I turned the light off," a voice told him. Spencer tested it. Much better.

"Who...?" Reid mumbled, fighting against the darkness. But he didn't hear the reply before he fell back unconscious.

 ** _(Three Weeks Later)_**

"Hey there, Spencer. How you feeling?" The nurse asked, fiddling around with his IV before moving on to his heart monitor.

He shrugged.

"Can you talk?"

"Yeah," Reid mumbled.

"Let's see. How do you spell your name?"

"She," his voice was slurred slightly when he tried to say "C." "Naw... that's not right... Uh, S-E... No, S-P... C? E..."

"Alright, don't strain yourself," the nurse assured him gently, smiling. "Trust me, you'll have plenty of time to try later. Get some rest, will ya?"

He didn't have to be told twice. The familiar darker was welcomed his arrival.

 **Stay Gold lovelies,**

 **\- Alee XxX**


	2. Chapter 2

**Down A Long, Dark Path**

 **Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Criminal Minds. (I wish I owned Reid.)**

 **Summary : **_After a severe concussion, Reid struggles to put the pieces of his life back together after being comatose. Will he ever be the same again?_

 *****In this, JJ still has Henry as her son, but her and Will are not together.**

 **Third Person**

Spencer stirred in his sleep upon hearing Dr. Martinez and JJ talking.

"Dr. Reid shouldn't be alone for too long. He will need someone to assist him and be with him during his recover. Does he have anyone who can help?"

JJ didn't even bat an eye. "He has me."

"Then if everything is all set up he is free to go."

Spencer decided that it would be a great time to wake up and enter the conversation on his own behalf.

"Hey, Spence," JJ greeted as soon as she saw him open his eyes. "You ready to go?"

"Mmhm," he said as happily as he could manage. He hated hospitals. Despised them.

Just then, one of the friendlier daytime nurses strolled in pushing a wheelchair. Spencer glared at it as if it would react to his hard stare.

"Sorry, hon," she apologized truthfully. "It's hospital procedure."

Spencer hobbled the few steps to the wheelchair and allowed JJ to push him while he sulked. He hated feeling like a baby, weak, and a burden to everyone. He wanted to be able to do things for himself.

"The doctor said that you shouldn't be alone," JJ chatted. "So I was thinking that maybe you could stay with Henry and I? You know he'd love it."

"I heard... you guys talking... I don't... don't want to be a bother," Spencer spoke carefully, experiencing difficulty conjuring the muscles in his mouth to speak the weds he wanted to say.

"Spencer Reid, you are never a bother," JJ proclaimed fiercely. "Please stay with us."

"I will," Spencer whispered. "Thank you, JJ."

 **—**

JJ had a guest bedroom in the back of the house, just off of the living room set up for Spencer. Little Henry was elated that his Uncle Spencer was going to be staying with them, but JJ kept him quiet because, as she had told her son, "Uncle Spencer has a boo-boo." But Spencer appreciated the quiet; his head was was killing him, despite all of the aspirin he was taking.

Reid never had much patience when it came to anything. The doctors told him to expect cognitive and physical challenges never present before, but he never expected that JJ's small two steps up to her house would cause him to trip. As soon as he was out for JJ's motherly, watchful eye he allowed his hand to trace the wall for support.

Spencer knew that it was going to be a long road to recovery. He just wasn't sure if he was ready to take it.

 **A/n: And here is chapter two! Ugh, I had it ready to post and it got deleted so I had to rewrite everything! Thank you for y'all's patience. :) And I'm sorry it's not as good.**

 **Tannerose5: Thank you so much for reviewing. I didn't even think of Henry, so thank you for that!**

 **Kateryn1: Lol that is so okay. Thank you so much! That was my favorite to write, so I am glad that you enjoyed it.**

 **Fishtrek: I do too. Thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **Marjereid: That means so much. Your reviews alway make me smile so thank you! And I do not planing doing that to him.**

 **Namira O.O: Yes, of course they do, that's the fun. That means a lot. And I think that I might. Thank you so much love!**

 **MW3addict: Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review!**

 **Omgnotagain: I hope that I continue to hold it. Thank you!**

 **Stay Gold lovelies,**

 **\- Alee XxX**


	3. Chapter 3

**Down A Long, Dark Path**

 **Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Criminal Minds. (Though I do wish that I owned Reid.)**

 **Summary : **_After a severe concussion, Reid struggles to put the pieces of his life back together after being comatose. Will he ever be the same again?_

 **Third Person (April, 2013)**

"Uncle Spencer!" Henry cried early the next morning, jumping onto the bed. JJ peaked her head in the door.

"Henry, I told you to wake up Uncle Spencer. Not to scare him to death," she laughed.

"Mommy made pancakes!" Henry said in an astonished voice, not paying a lick of attention to his mother.

"Did she now?" Spencer asked, only slightly stumbling on his words, but still choosing them very carefully. "I'm going to have to get me some."

Henry and JJ left, shutting the door behind them. Spencer slipped his shirt on without a hiccup, but when he tried to put his foot through the hole in his sweatpants he tripped and fell backwards onto the bed. He remained there laying and tried to put his sweatpants on, this time finding progress. After being fully clothed, he left the bedroom.

"Thank you," he said as he walked into the kitchen, seeing a plate of pancakes at the table. JJ smiled, setting a plate of chocolate pancakes in front of Henry. Henry's face lit up, and Spencer suddenly wished that he was four years old again and chocolate could fix all of his problems.

When Spencer tried to cut the pancake his hand slipped and the fork landed in a pile of syrup. Then, when he got it on the fork he misjudged the distance between his mouth and the fork. He felt so stupid that he thought about cussing, but with how frustrated he was it took him longer to think about how to say it and by then he remembered that Henry was there and he closed his mouth tightly, biting his tongue. Reid retried, his face slightly flushed with embarrassment, and this time swallowed the pancake without a hitch.

Spencer thought about a shower, but Henry asked if he could play a board game and Spencer quickly accepted. He couldn't resist his godson.

"You don't have to keep him occupied, you know," JJ told Spencer quietly.

"I know... But... I... I want to," Spencer said. Maybe, if he kept Henry busy for JJ, he could somehow make up for imposing on her.

"Alright," JJ relented, smiling. Maybe playing with Henry would help Spencer, she hoped. JJ knew that her son had a way of making anybody smile. As soon as that thought passed through her head, JJ's phone buzzed. It was from Garcia.

 **"** **Duty calls. Triple in Alabama. Hotch says of course you can work from home** **,"** the text read. JJ sighed.

"Duty calls, Spence. I'll be right back."

Spencer nodded, masking his disappointment with false cheeriness. He would have done anything to be the one going on that case. But he couldn't. He might never be able to work at the B.A.U. ever again.

"Mommy has to go to work," JJ explained to Henry, picking him up. "Why don't you come with me? You can come see everybody. And I'll worry."

"Alright," Spencer agreed. But the thought of going to work made his stomach flip.

 **A/n: I only planned on having Spencer alone for like ten minutes, but I went back to make it more clear and realized I wanted something different. So here is the real chapter 3.**

 **Kateryn1: Which one is? And it's okay, it's your opinion. Thanks so much! :)**

 **Namira O.O: Lol yes. Thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **White collar black wolf: We shall see. :)**

 **Marjereid: Oh that's weird but I'm glad you got to read! Thanks so much for your reviewing and taking the time to read.**

 **MW3addict: Thank you so much! And that's why I feel so bad for him here, but he's so sweet.**

 **Stay Gold lovelies,**

 **\- Alee XxX**


	4. Chapter 4

**Down A Long, Dark Path**

 **Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Criminal Minds. (Though I do wish that I owned Reid.)**

 **Summary : **_After a severe concussion, Reid struggles to put the pieces of his life back together after being comatose. Will he ever be the same again?_

 **Third Person (April, 2013)**

JJ pulled into the parking lot all too quickly for Spencer. He didn't have anytime to prepare himself. He was inside the building before he could even comprehend what he was doing there. What was he doing there?

"Hey, stranger," Morgan greeted cheerfully as the two walked into. He gave Spencer a look over. "Look what the cat dragged in. How you doing, Pretty Ricky?"

"Ha. Ha. Funny."

"Where's Hotch?" JJ interrupted.

"His office. We're gonna be leaving in about fifteen minutes," Morgan told her. JJ, Henry, and Reid walked towards Hotch's office.

JJ knocked, then entered. He handed her the paperwork and then asked Reid how he was feeling.

"Great. You know, maybe, I could just stay with Garcia and do... mapping and-"

"You are not jeopardizing your health. Get a doctor to clear you for work, then we'll talk," Hotch said.

"I am a doctor."

"Reid," He glared sternly.

"Fine," Spencer relented. JJ turned to leave, but Spencer stayed behind. He still had something to say.

"Will-Will I still have a job when I'm cleared?" Reid questioned unsurely.

Hotch's face softened. "You always have a place here, Reid."

Reid nodded, satisfied, and left. Morgan came around the corner with Henry, grinning at the young boy.

"Time to go, Henry," JJ instructed. He pouted and Morgan copied, sticking his bottom lip out too. JJ laughed.

"Puppy dog faces don't work on me. They have to leave soon too, Henry." Henry sadly grabbed his mother's hand to leave. He waved to Morgan before he started walking.

"Bye, Uncle Morgan," Henry said.

"Bye, Henry," Morgan echoed.

 **—**

Spencer fell asleep while in the car. He was glad that he was able to see the team and talk to Hotch, but the trip had wore him out. He woke up to JJ shaking his shoulder about fifteen minutes later.

"Wake up," she said. Blearily, he took in his surroundings. He realized eventually that he was at JJ's house in the car, not in his bed at his house.

"What?" He mumbled.

"Just a few feet and then you can go back to sleep."

"Oh." He realized what was going on now. He was not use to his brain working that slow. When he got inside the house JJ asked him if he was going to lay down again, but Spencer said no. He was wide awake now. Plus, it was lunch time and he was hungry. Despite JJ's objections, he made himself a sandwich before he was forced out of the kitchen and into a chair. But it was a start. Maybe, just maybe, he would be cleared for work soon.

—

The first thing Spencer was aware of was the fact that he was in a hospital again. The sounds, the smells, everything came back to him with a hated familiarity.

"JJ? What happened?" He croaked.

"Don't you remember?" She asked softly. "You passed out."

It started to come back to him. After he ate he had started to get a headache. JJ told him he had over exerted himself and that he should get some rest. On the way to his bedroom everything went dark and began to spin. He had heard JJ yelling, and then the next thing he heard was the beeping of the heart monitor.

"The doctor says you just overworked yourself. But he's actually pleased with your progress. You just have to stop being so stubborn, Spence," JJ explained, "and you'll continue get better."

"No promises," Reid said, his voice beginning to slur with exhaustion. He was sick of always being tired. When he was working cases, he could go days with just a few hours of sleep. Not now. He needed days of sleep just for a few hours.

"Get some sleep," JJ instructed. Spencer didn't have to be told twice. His eyelids did all the work for him.

 **A/n: As many of you have pointed out, I made a mistake in the last chapter. I rethought it and fixed it. My apologies. I made it better now though!**

 **Kateryn1: I really need to update that. I'm working on it. Thank you so much for reviewing.**

 **Ahowell1993: Maybe she will. Thank you for reviewing. :)**

 **Namira O.O: I changed chapter three please check it out. And thank you so much for reviewing!**

 **White collar black wolf: Thank you.**

 **96 Hubbles: I changed chapter 3. And JJ was going to leave him alone for 10 minutes. Plus, it was that he shouldn't be alone if he has a headache.**

 **Tannerose5: Don't leave him alone if he is dizzy or headache. And originally I was only having JJ go to get paperwork and then come back to work from home. But I changed chapter 3.**

 **SPDrAnger006: Thank you so much!**

 **Marjereid: I'm pretty mad at myself for that chapter, so thank you for staying with me!**

 **FlyKitty7000: Thank you so much for your encouraging review!**

 **Stay Gold lovelies,**

 **\- Alee XxX**


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